Balling gun

ABSTRACT

A tablet dispenser is disclosed which is particularly adapted to function as a balling gun for animals. It includes an elongated barrel portion for holding a plunger and a widened mouth portion with an accordion fold for retaining tablets in place.

United States Patent Zackheim [4 June 13, 1972 [54] BALLING GUN [72] Inventor: Eli A. Zackheim, Norwich, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Jules Silver, Norwich, Conn.

[22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1969 [2]] Appl. No.: 866,639

52 U.S.Cl ..221/279 51 1111. c1 ..B65h 3/00 58 FieldofSearch ..22l/25,279,280,64,307,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1952 Wendt ..221/279 X 9/1935 Bary et a1 ..133/6 X Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant ExaminerNom1an L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Curtis, Morris & Safford ABSTRACT A tablet dispenser is disclosed which is particularly adapted to function as a balling gun for animals. It includes an elongated barrel portion for holding a plunger and a widened mouth portion with an accordion fold for retaining tablets in place.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJuu 13 m2 INVENTOR EL/ AZAC/(UE/N BY M W 7% ATTORNEYS BALLING GUN DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to tablet dispensers and more particularly to dispensers which may be used as balling guns to administer medicaments or drugs in tablet form to animals.

In the practice of veterinary medicine, it is often necessary to give to an animal, such as a calf, cow or horse, a medicament or drug in tablet or pill form. The problem associated with administering these tablets is to get it beyond the animals tongue. This is usually accomplished by means of what is known as a balling gun. Balling guns are well known and have been used by farmers and veterinarians for many years. Among the disadvantages of the prior art balling guns is that they were not normally adapted to hold more than one tablet; nor tablets of various sizes. In addition, such guns were often made of several components or parts and required many manufacturing steps.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a balling gun of simple design which is easily assembled from molded plastic parts. In addition, it is a further object to have a balling gun which may be adapted to hold tablets of various sizes and more than one tablet.

The advantages of a balling gun which may hold at least two tablets are of particular importance in administering to calves. A large tablet, when inserted into the mouth of a calf, might lodge itself in its esophagus. If a smaller tablet is used and the balling gun may only hold one tablet, there is an obvious disadvantage. The animal must be disturbed twice and the farmer or veterinarian must administer each tablet separately. By having a balling gun which permits two tablets to be inserted, one after the other, the danger of lodging in the esophagus is removed and the farmer or veterinarian can administer the tablets in rapid succession without removing the gun from the animals mouth, thus speeding up the work and adding a safety feature.

In the specification and in the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present invention is described and shown. However, it is not intended that this embodiment be limiting of the invention, but instead, it is for the purpose of informing those skilled in the art of the concept of the invention so that it may be practiced by others in various forms and other embodiments which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a balling gun in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view along lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a balling gun I is shown. Bailing gun is advantageously made from molded polyethylene or polypropylene or any other suitable resilient plastic material.

The gun 10 includes a hollow housing 12 which is divided into a barrel l4 and head 16. A plunger 18 is inserted into the barrel portion of the housing. A thumb ring 20 is formed on the end of the plunger which extends out of the housing 12 and on the barrel 14, finger grips 22 are provided.

The head portion 16 of the housing 12 is substantially wider in cross section than the barrel l4. Along at least one side of the head 16 an accordion pleat indentation 24 is provided. In the illustrated embodiment, the accordion pleats or side folds are provided on two opposed walls. A tablet 26 is inserted by a small amount of force into the open end 27 of the head 16. The tablet 26 may be larger than the distance 28 between the opposed indentations of the side folds 24. However, since the housing is made of a resilient material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, the tablet easily forces the folds back while still pemritting the folds to retain the tablet in place. If desired, two or more tablets may be also inserted into the housing by merely gushing the first tablet upwardly towards the plun er.

In or er to use the balling gun after it has been loaded with the desired number of tablets, the gun is placed in the animals mouth (usually beyond its tongue) and the plunger is depressed, forcing the tablets out of the head, one at a time.

Another advantage of the present invention resulting from the use of resilient accordion pleats is that tablets of various sizes may be used in the same gun. This means that a farmer or veterinarian may obtain tablets from difierent drug manufacturers and still only use one gun to administer them to the animal.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it permits the cost of the completed gun to be relatively inexpensive. This has a particular advantage when dealing with animals which may have a contagious disease and to whom medicine or drugs must be given. After the inexpensive gun has been used, it may be disposed of as a safety precaution to prevent any spread of the disease.

What is claimed is:

l. A tablet dispensing balling gun adapted to be inserted into the mouth of an animal, comprising:

a hollow elongated molded housing of resilient organic plastic material having a widened portion open at one end thereof for retaining a tablet,

a plunger inserted into the housing with a portion thereof extending from the end of the housing opposite the widened portion,

an inwardly folded region along two opposed walls of the widened portion for retaining temporarily in position a tablet placed in the widened portion,

the cross-sectional extent of said open end being substantially the same as the widened portion for retaining the tablets placed therein,

said folded region including an accordion pleat in each of said walls on a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing,

said folded regions being sufficiently resilient to permit ejection of the tablet by pressure applied to the end of the plunger extending from the housing, and

the widened portion adapted to hold at least two tablets and the folded regions sufficiently resilient whereby one I tablet may be ejected and the other retained in the housing. 

1. A tablet dispensing balling gun adapted to be inserted into the mouth of an animal, comprising: a hollow elongated molded housing of resilient organic plastic material having a widened portion open at one end thereof for retaining a tablet, a plunger inserted into the housing with a portion thereof extending from the end of the housing opposite the widened portion, an inwardly folded region along two opposed walls of the widened portion for retaining temporarily in position a tablet placed in the widened portion, the cross-sectional extent of said open end being substantially the same as the widened portion for retaining the tablets placed therein, said folded region including an accordion pleat in each of said walls on a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, said folded regions being sufficiently resilient to permit ejection of the tablet by pressure applied to the end of the plunger extending from the housing, and the widened portion adapted to hold at least two tablets and the folded regions sufficiently resilient whereby one tablet may be ejected and the other retained in the housing. 